Igniteb



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,627

' E. F. CLARK.

IGNITER Filedl March l, 1927 (fnl/6177457" Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED `STATES A 1,692,627 PATENT OFFICE..`

EDWARD FOSTER CLARK, F NORTH ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO CLARK-LIGHTERKCO., INS., OF NORTH ATTLEBORO', MAS- SACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

IGNITER.

Application filed March 1, 1927. Serial No. 171,883.

My invention is an improvement in igniters, more particularly that type of igniter especially adapted for use in lighting cigars, suchA as is shown, for example in my United States Patent No. 1,594,047, dated July 27, 1926, which is a flint spark, vaporv cigar lighter. My present invention is concerned with the Vapor or gas producing elements of such a device-and is applicable to all Vapor igniters or cigar lighters, although specifically described in connection with lthe cigar lighter of United States Patent No. 1,594,047.

In the drawings: 4 Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of a cigar lighter;

lfigure 2 is a similar View of the opposite s1 e; p

Figure 3A is a plan view ofthe upper end of a lighter; 4 Figure 4 is a view of a fibre bundle, first stage;

Figure 5 is a view of a fibre bundle, after twisting; y Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view of the burner element;

Figure 7 is a section on line 7--7 of Figure 6; A

Figure 8 is similar` to Figure 7, but shows the capillary bundle in place within the tube;

enlarged, of a burner and extinguisher.

The lighter is made up of a fuel tank 1, upon wluch are mounted, in operative rela tionship, aspark tube 41, within which is carried a flint pressed against a spark wheel 52 by a spring within the spark tube which is compressed between the flint and a screw threaded element 45. The tubular burner 6 stands opposite the spark' wheel, actuation 40 of which by thumb wheel 51 throws sparks to the -upper end of burner 6 against the capillary element X. When not in use theburner 6 is closed by a swinging extinguisher 8, 83. These elements are all shown and described in my United States Patent No. 1,594,047.

In most lamps and lighters employing liquid fuel the fuel is made available for combustion by means of a wick of woven, braided or felted fabric, one end of which lies in vthe liquid fuel while the other end is sustained out of the-liquid fuel. The liquid fuel is drawn by capillary action through the wick to the sustained end where it is evaporated, whenexposed, 'into the atmos- Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view,

will be consumed and the flame will then expire for lack of combustible material.v

This charring of the exposed end of the wick could be obviated by providing a noncombustible material for the wick, such as asbestos, for example, and this has been tried, but due to the relative coarscness and irregularity qf asbestos libre, asbestos fabric wicks are insufficiently supplied with continuous passages of capillary size and have not proven as useful and satisfactory as cotton, for example, except for certain special uses.

I have discovered however, that the fibres of amiantus, a form lof asbestos, may be pressed into bundles of parallel fibres of a desired size and length, the asbestos libre bundle, under pressure being considerably .condensed and the fibres laid in substantially solid parallel contact, and that, by slightly twisting the bundle, the fibrous contact will be disturbed and innumerable minute continuous capillary passages will be opened throughout the length of the bundle.

The fibre bundle forms a capillary member suitable for'use in any tubular burner element, such is shown-1in United States Patent No. 1,594,047. In such a burner or lamp and in such an application or use it is impracticable to provide mechanism for raising a wick at intervals as it is slowly consumed and it is practically important to provide a wick, which after its initial adjustment will not be shortened by gradual combustion.- One de-V fect of ordinary vapor cigar lighters has been due to the neglect of users in permitting the fuel supply to 'become exhausted and the exposed wick consumed until the flame was reduced to a very small size or could not be produced at all.

In addition to the twisted capillary bundle of asbestos fibres and as a further assurance of a liberal supply of fuel to the combustion point, I provide the interior of the tubular surface of the asbestos bundle and to ltornicapillary spaces or passages between the interior of the burner tube and the exterior of the asbestos bundle, from end to end of the burner tube. The saine result would be ef fected by forming longitudinal slots along the interior surface oi the burner, leaving projecting ribs or surfaces between the adjacent slots. I have described these projections and depressions as longitudinal because this is the preferred construct-ion, being cheaper to make and more effective in use, but allultiplicity of projections and depressionsI of any shape, rovided capillary spaces were formed, would eellective.

In Figure 4 I vshow the capillary gas form- -ing element X asit is first formed anticompressed. In Figure 5 I indicate the bundle after twisting. In Figures 6 and 7 the burner element 6 isshown in section, with the interior ribs 61 and depressions or slots 62. In Figa ure 8, Figure 7 is reproduced with the addition of the capillary element X, showing the longitudinal spaces between the surface of X and the inner surface of the burner.

It will be obvious that even relatively short capillary spaces between the libres of the bundle -X will, due to its helical twist, cross several of the internal ribs or slots ofthe burner, so that fuel may find its wa from the bundle X to the capillary spaces ormed between the surface of the bundle and the interior of the burner. The surface of the bundle X is covered with grooves or spaces -o capillary dimensions, between adjacent fibres and these spaces are in operative capillary relation with the opposed inner surface of the burner 6, with its grooves and depressions of capillary size.

I claim:

l. In an igniter, abundle of asbestos iibres arranged in 'a parallel, helical relation of the several fibres and yhaving capillary spaces between the fibres and between the bundle and the inner surface of a'burner tube; that burner tube, to receive and sustain and cooperate with the bundle to form acapillary 4 gas forming and burning elementl 2. In an igniter, a bundle of asbestos libres, arranged in a parallel, helical relation of the libres andhaving capillary spaces between the libres and between the bundle and the inner surface of a burner tube; that burner tube, provided with a inultiplicity of longitudinal interior ribs or slots, to receive and sustain and cooperate with the bundle to forni' a capillary gas forming and burninvf element.

3. In an igniter, a burner tube, aving an interior bore, and a multiplicity of projections or depressions of capillary dimenslons, within the bore, to form connecting capillary spaces from end to end of the tube.

Si ned at Boston, Massachusetts, this twen'.

ty-i th day of February, 1927.

EDWARD FOSTER CLARK. 

